“It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Facing hard stuff is something we all have to do at some point in our lives. It may be a little hard. It may be a lot hard. But in a broken world, hard stuff is part of the journey. The only variable here is how we handle the hard. Read the rest…
“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Why did Paul rattle off this list of experiences that by almost any account would make someone conclude that the particular path of life he had chosen was not for them? He was boasting about why he carried the authority to call them to behave in a certain way. If they were going to claim to be followers of Jesus, then he was someone they should listen to in terms of how to do it right. Read the rest…
“But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
In last Friday’s Morning Musing we saw the psalmist here pouring out his heart to God from out of a place of utter desperation. His world was falling to pieces and it felt like even God Himself had abandoned him. Now, while there are a couple of psalms that end there in the darkness, most of them make a turn at some point. Here we find the turn for this one. Everything was falling apart and it seemed life itself might be ending, but… Read the rest…
“Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you!” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Sometimes our circumstances are hard enough that we just need to cry out to the Lord and tell Him how awful we feel. This psalm is good for that. When you feel completely broken and like God Himself has abandoned you, these are words you can cry out to Him. Even if they feel a little uncomfortable, still, you can pray them with confidence because the psalmist already did and they were included in the Scriptures. Read the rest…
The Nexus 